Disney launches digital movie app

Disney and digital just got a little closer, thanks to a huge assist by Apple.

Today the media giant released a new app that will let film fans store their movies in the cloud and have them available for their iPads, iPhones, iPod touch devices and more.

Disney’s new digital movies app, not surprisingly called “Disney Movies Anywhere,” allows Disney film fans to store their movie purchases online and play them on Apple mobile devices or computers. Disney film fans also can watch the films through the Apple TV set-up, as well.

The launch of the app coincides with the digital release of the hugely popular Disney film “Frozen,” and users who start using the link now will even get a free digital copy of the Pixar hit “The Incredibles.”

The “Disney Movies Anywhere” app takes advantage of a Disney, Pixar and Marvel library collection of more than 400 titles.

The app is built on the framework of Disney’s so-called KeyChest technology, which is used to store consumers’ digital purchases in the cloud. It has long been an alternative to the more pervasive UltraViolet technology used for similar effect by Warner Bros., Sony, Universal and others.

For now, Disney’s app works only with Apple iTunes and only for Apple mobile devices, though industry observers say that could be expanded to other mobile operating systems, such as Android, in the future. Also, the app can be used by personal computer users regardless of whether the machines they use are from Apple or are PCs.

Users of the new app can enter the codes found with their DVD or Blu-ray versions of Disney movies they have purchased. Once they do, the app will allow them to link their collection on off-site servers via their iTunes accounts. Bonus features will be offered, just as with the DVDs, and Disney reward points also will be part of the new system, too.

All of the app users' movies will be easy to access under one iTunes account, regardless of whether movies were purchased as digital downloads or were purchased as DVDs.

Users who are considering downloading the app should note that sooner is better. The free digital version of “The Incredibles” is a limited-time offer.

Published reports state that Disney said it is in talks with others about offering the service outside of iTunes.

More about the new app can be found here, and there's an official YouTube video here.